Kick boxing glove with flexible inner wrist/forearm padding

ABSTRACT

A kick boxing glove has an extended rear portion attached to a front section having a thumb, finger and palm portion. The extended rear portion has a leather outside layer and fabric inner layer with a molded foam in between for covering; the outer wrist and forearm of a kick boxer. The kick boxer inner wrist is covered with multiply connected flexible sections, each section having a leather outer layer and either a leather or fabric inner layer with a molded foam in between the layers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to kick boxing gloves. More specifically, it refers to a kick boxing glove having an extended rear portion covering an athlete's wrist and forearm with an inner portion of the wrist and forearm protected by multiply connected sections containing foam padding.

[0002] Protective gloves for athletes are well known as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,945,045; 4,361,912 and 5,983,396. These patents describe gloves which have padded portions to protect the wrist of the athlete. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,045 and 5,964,683 also have extended padded portions for protecting the athlete's forearm. However, these extended padded portions are not flexible. The problem presented by the prior art is inadequate protection of the wrist and forearm with a protective layer that is flexible so that the wrist and forearm can move with the needs of the athlete. A glove that contains a flexible wrist and forearm portion with adequate protective layers for use in protecting a kick boxer from the foot blows of an opponent is needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This invention provides a protective kick boxing glove that gives added protection to the inner wrist and forearm of an athlete and at the same time does not limit flexibility for the athlete's wrist and forearm. The kick boxing glove of this invention has finger, thumb and wrist/forearm protective portions with the inner surfaces covered by a fabric layer and the outer surfaces connected by a leather layer with multiple layers of molded foam between the fabric layer and leather layer. The glove has an extended rear portion contiguous with the inner palm portion, the rear portion covering the athlete's wrist and forearm. The outer wrist and forearm is covered by a leather outside layer and inner fabric layer with multiple layers of molded foam between the leather and fabric layer. The inner wrist and forearm is covered by multiple flexibly connected sections having a cloth inner layer and leather outer layer with a soft and hard molded foam in between the two layers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0005]FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of a right hand kick boxing glove of this invention.

[0006]FIG. 2 is a left side elevational view of a right hand glove.

[0007]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1.

[0008]FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view along lines 4-4 of FIG. 1.

[0009]FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view along lines 5-5 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures.

[0011] The kick boxing glove 10 of this invention shown in FIG. 1 has a thumb protective portion 12, a finger protective portion 14 and a palm portion 16, together with an extended wrist and forearm protective portion 18. Vents 20 in the thumb 12 and palm portions 16 allow for escape of moisture.

[0012] An inner nylon fabric layer 22 covers an inner layer of the thumb, finger, and wrist and forearm portions of glove 10. The palm portion 18 constitutes a single leather layer on the inside with a foam grip bar 58 sewn latitudinally across the palm 16. The area of the grip bar 58 has an inner nylon layer 22 and outer leather layer 24 with a soft foam material 26 in between. An outer leather layer 44 also connects the thumb 12, finger 14, outer palm 16, and outer wrist and forearm 48 portions.

[0013] In between the fabric layer 22 and leather layer 24 in the finger portion 14, and between the leather 44 on back 59 and an inner nylon cloth layer 22 of glove 10 are multiple layers of a soft molded foam 26. A leather strip 28 connects a leather surface 24 of thumb protective portion 12 with a leather surface 24 of the finger protective portion 14.

[0014] The extended wrist and forearm portion 18 differs markedly in a structure covering the inner wrist and forearm from a structure covering the outer wrist and forearm 48. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, the inner wrist covering portion has multiple elongated flexibly attached sections 30, 32 and 34. Each section is attached to an adjacent section by stitching with a layer of leather 24 and cloth 64 constituting ends 36 and 38 loosely contacting an inner surface of section 32.

[0015] The elongated inner wrist and forearm protective portion 18 as shown in FIG. 1 and in the FIG. 4 cross section has a hard foam pad 40 inside each of sections 30, 32 and 34. A layer of soft foam 66 is located between an inner nylon cloth layer 35 and the hard foam 40 in section 30 and 34. Section 32 has an inner leather layer 42 and an outer leather layer 44 covering a hard foam core 40. The nylon and leather layers are all stitched together. The outer wrist and forearm protection portion 48 has inner soft foam multiple layers 50 with an inner nylon cloth layer 22 and outer leather layer 54. Hook and loop material 56 wraps around the wrist and forearm protective portion 18 to hold glove 10 on the athlete's arm.

[0016] The palm portion 16 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 has an inner grip bar 58 stitched to an inner palm portion 16 of a single leather layer 57. Five layers of foam padding 62 is inserted in the top 59 over the palm portion 16 and five layers of padding 26 is inserted in the finger portion 14. An inner layer of nylon liner 64 retains the padding 62 in place.

[0017] The nylon cloth inner layer 22 can be substituted with other cloth layers such as silk, rayon, taffeta or like materials. The outer leather layer 24 can be substituted with synthetic leather substances, vinyl materials or the like. The inner foam can be a soft polyurethane or hard polyurethane as stated above. The core 40 could be also polystyrene, polyvinylchloride or a rubber foam. Although only the right hand glove is shown and described, a left hand glove will have an identical structural configuration. Other additional equivalent materials can be substituted for the materials used herein to provide like results. 

Having disclosed that invention, what is claimed follows:
 1. A protective kick boxing glove adapted for use on an athlete's hand comprising: a finger protective portion; a thumb protective portion; a palm protective portion; a wrist and forearm protective portion; an inner fabric portion in the finger protective, the thumb protective, above the palm protective, and in the wrist and forearm protective portions; an outer leather portion connecting the finger protective, the thumb protective, above the palm protective, the wrist and forearm protective portions; the finger protective, thumb protective and above the palm protective portions having multiple layers of protective molded foam between the inner fabric portion and outer leather portion; the wrist and forearm protective portion having multiple layers of protective molded foam between the inner fabric portion and outer leather portion covering an outer wrist and forearm portion; and multiple connected elongated flexible sections covering an inner wrist and forearm portion, each section having an outer leather layer and inner fabric layer with at least one layer of molded foam between the leather and fabric layer.
 2. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 1 wherein the wrist and forearm portion has a means for holding the glove in place on the athlete's hand.
 3. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 2 wherein the means for holding the glove in place is a hook and corresponding loop material fastened around the outer and inner leather portions of the wrist and forearm portion.
 4. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 1 wherein the thumb protective portion and finger protective portion are connected by a strap attached to the outer leather portion of the thumb protective and finger protective portions.
 5. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 1 wherein there are three flexibly connected sections covering the inner wrist and forearm portions.
 6. A protective kick boxing glove comprising as an integral unit, a finger protective portion; a thumb protective portion; a palm portion containing a grip bar; a wrist and forearm protective portion; the finger and thumb portion portions containing multiple layers of a soft foam between a fabric and leather layer; an outer portion of the wrist and forearm protective portion having an outer layer of leather and an inner layer of the fabric and multiple layers of a soft foam between the leather and fabric layers stitched together; and an inner portion of the wrist and forearm protective portion having multiple elongated sections containing a hard foam protective layer, the sections flexibly stitched together, a front portion of each section stitched to the palm portion.
 7. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 6 wherein there are three elongated sections flexibly stitched together.
 8. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 7 wherein a middle elongated section has a hard foam inner layer retained between two layers of leather stitched together.
 9. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 7 wherein an elongated section on each side of a middle elongated section has a hard foam layer and a soft foam layer retained between a leather layer stitched to a cloth layer.
 10. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 6 wherein the wrist and forearm protective portion is retained on an athlete's forearm by a circular hook and loop material stitched to one of the elongated sections.
 11. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 10 wherein one of the hook and loop elements is stitched to the outer portion of the wrist and forearm protective portion and another of the hook and loop element is stitched to one of the elongated sections and adapted to wrap around the wrist and forearm protective portion and engage the hook and loop element stitched to the outer portion of the wrist and forearm protective portion.
 12. A protective kick boxing glove for use by an athlete, the glove comprising: a finger, a thumb, a back of the hand and an outer wrist and forearm protective portions containing multiple layers of a foam material sandwiched between a leather outer layer and cloth inner layer; and the wrist and forearm protective portion having an inner wrist and forearm portion consisting of multiple elongated sections flexibly stitched together, each elongated section having a hard foam core retained in place by a first leather layer stitched to a second leather layer or a cloth material, a front end of at least two sections stitched to a layer of leather traversing a palm of the glove and a back end of the sections terminating at a rear end of the glove.
 13. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 12 wherein there are three elongated sections flexibly stitched together.
 14. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 12 wherein the cloth inner layer is nylon taffeta.
 15. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 12 wherein a hook and loop material attached to the wrist and forearm portion retains the glove on the athlete.
 16. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 13 wherein a middle section is stitched to one side section and another side section is stitched to an outer leather side of the outer wrist and forearm protective portion.
 17. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 13 wherein a middle elongated section contains a layer of hard foam retained in place between two layers of leather stitched together.
 18. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 13 wherein an elongated section on each side of a middle elongated section has a layer of hard foam and a layer of soft foam sandwiched between a leather layer and a cloth layer stitched together.
 19. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 17 wherein a hook or loop material is stitched to the outer wrist and forearm protective portion and a corresponding hook or loop material is attached at one end to a side of the middle elongated section and is adapted to be wrapped around the wrist and forearm portion to engage the hook or loop material stitched to the outer wrist and forearm protective portion.
 20. The protective kick boxing glove according to claim 18 wherein an opposed side of each elongated side sections is stitched to a flap having a leather side and a cloth side. 